Operating machinery for load handling equipment



Jan. 17, 1950 w. M. HUSTON 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed July 5, 1945 INVENTOR M M M ATTORNEYS 3 Shets-Sheet 2 m MW Jan. 17, 1950 w. M. HUSTON OPERATING MACHINERY FOR LOAD HANDLING EQUIPMENT Original Filed July 5, I945 Jan. 17, 1950 HU'STON 2,494,618

OPERATING MACHINERY FOR LOAD HANDLING EQUIPMENT Original Filed July 5 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 W W ATTORN EYS Patented Jan. 17, 1950 OPERATING MACHINERY FOR LOAD HANDLING EQUIPMENT William M. Huston, Lima, Ohio Original application July 5, 1945, Serial No. 603,376. Divided and this application May 24, 1946, Serial No. 672,059

'4 Claims. (01., 212-38) This invention relates to load handling equipment and is concerned with a number of features of the arrangement of the operating machinery in load handling machines, of the type, for example, described and claimed in my copending application No. 603,376 entitled Load handling machines, filed July 5, 1945, of which this application is a division.

Although many features of the invention are of general applicability to load handling machines, certain of the features are of especial importance in machines of large size, adapted to handle heavy loads. Moreover, basically, the general arrangement of theoperating machinery is adaptable to load handling machines of a variety of types 1 including cranes, shovels, clam shells, draglines, and the like, although it is pointed out that certain features of the invention are of especial utility in large size cranes. Still further, the invention is especially useful in load handlin machines of the type mounted on crawler trucks, adapted to be propelled by an engine or power plant carried by the rotating base. With the foregoing considerations in mind, the invention is hereinafter described and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as applied to a crawler type crane of large size capable of handling heavy loads. ,In accordance with one important aspect of 'theinvention, the arrangement of the machinery on the rotating base is such as to more effectively utilize the weight of the machinery thanhas been practicable heretofore in counterbalancing the load being handled by the boom. Tothis end, at least the primary, and preferably all, of'the shafts utilized to perform the normal functions of the machine, such as swing, propel, hoisting, and boom hoisting, are located to the rear of the center of swing motion about which the rotating base is mounted on the crawler truck.

I In the preferred embodiment, the machine of the invention is adapted to cooperate with the boom, the point of the boom being provided with sheaves adapted to cooperate with hoist cables chine of large size, as herein contemplated, weighing, for example, in the'neighborhood of 300,000 pounds, as much as 30,000 to 40,000 pounds less counterweight is required than in an arrangement in which one or more of the primary shafts of the machinery are located ahead of the center of swing motion. 7

According to another feature of the invention two boom hoist drums are employed, these drums being arranged and mounted in a novel manner on the rotating base, as will further appear.

With reference to the machine as a Whole, it may be said that the invention has, as an important general object, the provision of a load handling machine of large size capable of handling heavy loads, the operation and structure of the machine being simplified as much as is practicable, consistent with safety and ruggedness.

How the foregoing objects and advantages are obtained, together with others, will appear more fully from the following description referrin to the accompany drawings which illustrate a crawler type crane constructed according to the present invention and in which Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic side outline View of a crane embodying machinery arranged in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a right-hand view on a scale enlarged as compared with Figure 1 showing the general arrangement of the machinery and its mounting on the rotating base, certain portions of this view being broken out and shown in section, as is mentioned in detail hereafter; and

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the mechanism shown in Figure 2.

- Although the drawings illustrate the invention as applied to a crane, in which association various features of the invention are of special advantage, it should be kept in mind that many aspects of the invention are equally applicable to other types of load handling machines. In fact, the basic or essential arrangements and structures of the rotating base, the machinery supports, and the machinery itself may be used with little if any substitution of parts in machines such as shovels, draglines, clam shells, and the like. It is contemplated that when employing various features of the invention for machines other than cranes, different types of lagging may be associated with one or both of the hoist drums; and other clutch and drive mechanisms may be supported by the machinery frames and power shafts, in order to adapt the basic mechanism to performthe normal function of load handling machines of other types. To illustrate, in the case of a power shovel, a hoist drum may be employed to perform the function of dipper hoisting, and appropriate mechanisms will be added or substituted in order to take care of the functions of crowd-out and crowd-in.

Various features or general arrangement will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The rotating base of the machine generally ill-1 dicated at 13 is mounted on the crawler true}; I 4 having a pair of crawler treads [5 on which the machine is adapted to be propelled on the ground. The rotating base is mounted for swing motion with respect to the truck about a vertical axis defined by a central bearing It,

The rotating base serves to carry the engine and machinery frames 21 (see Figures 2 and 3) and at its forward end, the base also provides a pin 22 for pivotal suppQrt of the foot end of the bo m .3;. Th e ine andthe machinery on, the rotating base are enclosed by a cab structure 24; and rising from the forward left hand corner of the rotating baseiis an operators control tower 2,5.

The boom, is adapted to be Supported by a gantry. structur includin a pair of front comp sion legs 39 which are pinned at. 419; to the rotating base adjacent to the pivot pin; 12; for the boom. The gantry further includes pairsof rear tension legs M which at their outer ends. are interconnected, with the upper ends of the compression legs 39 by; means of the gantry head shaft 42. Additional rear tension legs. 13 are connected with the lower ends. of legs 4!, the legs 43' being extended downwardly: to. be pinned, to the rotating base as. at ifig- The rear tension. le 4:l '43- are braced bydiagonal: braces 46 which are extended between the foot ends. of, the tension legseilzand the upper edges of the machinery frames 2 I The details ofi'thisvgantry; structure need not be considered herein, since they form. no part of the presentinvention per se, the same being described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 603,380; filedJuly-S, 1945, issued April'20;,194 8; as Patent No. 2,440,199, entitled Gantry structure.

The two ends of the boom; hoist cable 48 are adapted; to be. moved respectively onv two, boom hoist drums 5t and 53; (see Figure 3),. Beginning at one dr-um 52 the boom hoist cable, extends therefrom. over'sheaves atthe gantry head. shaft, andcfrom thereto sling sheaves is andback again tothe sheaves. on the gantry head shaft, there being several runs of cable arrangedinthismanner. The cable is then. associated: with crossover sheaves which are slung from the gantry head: shaftand from there the. cable passes in several runsbetween the head shaft andthe sling sheavcstde, and the opposite end of the cable isv ultimately reeved on. the other boom hoist drum 53, as more fully described in my copending ap-. plication No. 603,376, referred to above.

The gantry head shaftalso serves as a reac-.. tion point for telescopic boom stop devices, one of these devices being shown in Figure 1 at 55. It will be seen that the outer endsof the stop devices 55 are connected with the boom 23. at a point in the central region of the boom. The specific. structure of the stops 55: need not be considered herein since they formno part ofthe present invention per se, the same being de-. scribed and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 603,378, filed'July 5, 1945, and entitled Boom stops for load handling machines.

on the rotating base 13 and the machinery frames 2!, attention is directed to Figures 2 and 3, and it is noted that certain features of the rotating base itself constitute subject matter disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 603,382, filed July 5, 1945, issued January 4, 1949, as Patent No. 2,458,271., entitled Rotating base for load handling machines. From Figure 3 it will be seen that the rotating base comprises a central base structure constituting the back bone of the machine which may be either a builtrup construction, or, as shown in the drawings, may comprise a casting l3-a. All the major operating units of the machine are connected to or anchored on, this base casting. The central casting also serves to carry the lateral extension {3-12 and l3-c; providing a platform extending around the machinery. One or more counter- Weights T0 are fastened to the central casting [3a toward its rear end and the engine 20 is also mounted at. the rear end: The engine; snail; II which. is. supported in a bearingstandard. He'd. carries. a sprocket cooperating with chain [2 which chain serves to.- drive. the jack snail: 1'3 throughv the sprocket H1 (see; Figures: 2; and. The jack shaft is journaled' in the rightehand machinery frame 21 and also. ina' support 15 which rises from an intermediate portion 0 of the base casting t3:-.-a.. Another jackshaft support 76 isprovided justinsidethe'planaof the. sprocket 1:4. As clearly appears: in Figure; 3; the jack shaft 13 carries. a, pinionflrt which is: keyed; to. the shaft; this pinion'meshing with. the. gear 78, fixed on the rear hoist. drunrshait lit is journaled at the upper edges. of; the machinery frames zlwz-l and; extends. across: the machine. tocarry anothengear Bil whichriskeyed to-itsopa posite end. The front hoist drum shaft 81: is mounted at theupper edges of the machinery frames'ahead of'thesha-ft 1 9, theshaft 81 having keyed thereon a gear 82--- which meshes with gear 18 to receive power therefrom.

The horizontal reverse clutch shaft '83 is 1o cated intermediatethe rear andf-ront-hoist shafts 1e and 81, shaft: 83 being J'ournaled int-hemachinery frames?! irrthe lowerregion thereoi 'and havingassociated therewith certain gears and clutches described below foreffecting the functions of swing and propel. At tlris:v point, it. is noted that with the; arrangement, of shafts. just described p i ular y e two; drum shafts'lrs and 8.4. a jacent the. op. f" h.e machinery frames. andwithshaftfiimquntedintermedia e the drum. ha ts. in, the lower region; of the machinery. frames, the in en ionfurther con emnlatcsamachinery frame intcrbrac 8.4 interconnectinatheupper, edges. oi the. machinery 'iramesin. theregion above the transverse. shaft. 83: and. intcrmediate the two drum shafts T9 and 8|. v

The vario s functions. of, themachine are perf y the. lu ch ng f.- various; operatina units tov he primacy, machine. shafts already. men ionedabove; for. xample, shaft. lacam-iesa. cable drum, 85 which, drum adapted-to 6039M?" ate with the. hoist. cable St-showa in: Eig-m e- 1: as xt nded upwardly to: pass. over? theesheavcs 35. Drum; 851 is; rotatiyelymoun-ted'on, the shait 9 nd has a lu h housin 86; connected ion ro a i n her with: 1- etwith: the: (It, li e een: that. pon: n a em nt-oi he: lutch: associated therewith. the clutchl musin 8.63 is; caused torotate-witbithe shafti'lsi therebysrotata ingdrum 85toawindzinthe:hoistzcablleifi;anch hus:

In considering the mounting of" the machinery: raise a; load5bcing. handledbahooki 330 .When it:

is desired to lower hook 31 the clutch is, of course, disengaged.

1 Referring now to the front drum shaft 8|, this shaft carries a cable drum I06 adapted to cooperate with the main hoist cable 33 (see Figure v1)-the drum IiJB'being rotatively mounted on shaft BI. Rotative with the drum I06 is a cylindrical braking surface I01 (see Figure 2) located at one side of the drum, and also a clutch housing I08 located at the other side of the drum. A friction brake band I01-a (see Figure 2) is adapted to cooperate with the brake surface I01; -An internal expanding clutch is positioned within the clutch housing I08. Thus, the front hoist drum I36 is adapted to be connected with the shaft 8| by means of a clutch lying within the housing I38 in order to raise the main hook 34; and a brake I31-a associated with brake surface I81 is employed to control the rate and extent of lowering the hook 34.

Turning now to the boom hoist function, particular attention is directed to Figures 2 and 3. As there shown, the boom hoist drums 52 and 53 are mounted to rotate on boom hoist shaft I09, which is secured in the rotative base casting I3-a. One of the drums 52 lies in a recess or pocket III! provided toward the left-hand side of the machine, and the other 53 in a larger pocket II I provided toward the other side of the machine but extended centrally of the base sufficientlytoaccommodate the transmission or gear casing H2. Within this casing II2 shaft I89 carries a worm wheel II3 meshing with worm II4, constituting an irreversible worm drive. worm is mounted on shaft I I5 which is journaled in the casing II2. At its upper end, exteriorly of easing II2, shaft II5 carries a bevel pinion III; meshing with a pair of bevel gears II1-I I8 which are respectively fastened to clutch housings H9 and I20. Each of the gear and clutch housing assemblies II1--I I9 and II8--I-20, is rotatively mounted on the jack shaft 13, and an internally expanding clutch is arranged within each one of the housings H9 and I20, these clutches being adapted to alternatively clutch one or the other of the housings to the jack shaft, so as to rotate bevel pinion H6 in one direction or the other and thereby provide for lowering or raising of the boom at will, it being understood that the ends of the boom hoist cable 48 are reeved respectively on the two boom hoist drums 52 and 53.

Turning now to the functions of swing and propel, it is first noted that provision is made for driving the horizontal reverse clutch shaft in either direction, the mechanism employed for this purpose being shown in Figures 2 and 3. At opposite ends of shaft 83, outside of the planes of the driving gearing 82 and 80, clutch housings I23 and I24 are mounted. A gear I25, meshing with gear 82, is fixed to rotate with clutch I23, this assembly (I23-I25) being rotatively mounted on shaft 83. Similarly, a gear I26, meshing with gear 80, is fixed to rotate with clutch housing I24, the two being rotative on the shaft 83. As seen in Figure 2, an internal expanding friction clutch I21 is arranged within the housing I23, being supported by a spider I28 which is keyed to shaft 83. Upon engagement of clutch band I21, the shaft 83 is caused to rotate with gear I25 which meshes with gear 82 on the front drum shaft al. A similar clutch arrangement is associated with the clutch housing I24. Because of the fact that gears 88 and 82 rotate in opposite directions shaft 83 may be driven in opposite directions by "engagement of one or the'other of the clutches at its outer ends.

. Power is delivered from shaft 83 through bevel pinion [38 to a bevel gear I 3|, the latter being fixed at the upper end of the vertical reversing shaft I32, which shaft further carries a pinion I33 meshing with gear I34. Gear I34 is rotative with respect to the vertical swing shaft I35. Similarly, a gear I36 is rotative with respect to the vertical propel shaft I31, the two gears I34 and I36 intermeshing and therefore being rotated with the vertical reversing shaft I32 and with the gears I33 and I3I carried thereby.

The swing motion is effected by virtue of a pinion I38 fixed to the lower end of the vertical swing shaft and meshing with the internal ring gear I39 formed just inside of a circular track I8 on the truck structure I4. The vertical propel shaft I31 carries the bevel pinion I40 at its lower end which is adapted to cooperate with truck drive mechanism (not shown), for example, of the general type shown in the patent to this applicant and Cecil E. Jones, No. 2,387,268, issued October 23, 1945. Since the truck drive forms no part of the present invention per se, it need not be considered herein. Gear I34 is adapted to be clutched to the vertical swing shaft I35, and similarly, gear I36 is adapted to be clutched to the vertical propel shaft I31. For this purpose swing and propel dog clutches MI and I42 are keyed to shafts I35 and I31 respectively, these clutches being arranged above the gears I34 and I33 and being adapted to be engaged alternatively.

By virtue of the arrangement described just above, the vertical swing shaft I35 and the vertical propel shaft I31 may alternatively be driven in either direction, the two directions of rotation being secured by virtue of engagement of one or the other of the clutches associated with the ends of the horizontal reverse clutch shaft 83.

The vertical swing shaft I35 also has a brake associated with its upper end, a braking surface I46 keyed to the outer end of the shaft I35 and surrounded by an external contracting brake band I41 (see Figures 2 and 3).

It is here noted that certain structural features of the machinery for performing the functions of swing and propel, as above described, are shown and claimed in my Patent No. 2,354,- 863, issued August 1, 1944, so that detailed description of these parts need not be given herein. But it is to be understood that certain of these parts shown in my prior patent are herein disclosed in a novel association with certain other parts of the machine of the present invention.

According to the foregoing, a load handling machine capable of handling large and heavy loads is provided, and notwithstanding the size and weight of the machine and its various parts and machinery the several working functions can be performed with ease and reliability.

I claim:

1. In a crawler type load handling machine having a rotating base mounted for swing motion and a boom carried by the base in front of the axis of swing motion, operating machinery carried by the base and comprising, in combination with an engine mounted at the rear of the rotating base, a jack shaft ahead of the engine and driven therefrom, a rear drum shaft ahead of the jack shaft and driven therefrom, a front drum shaft ahead of the rear drum shaft and driven therefrom, and a reverse shaft between the front and rear drum shafts and adapted to ammo be'drive'n alternatively from one or the other of the drum shafts, said tom shafts: all being mounted to the. rear of the. axis. of swing motion.

2..'In a crawler type load handlingmachine having a rotating base mounted for swing mo.- tion and a boom carried by the base in front: of the axis of swing motion, machinery frames ex.- tended fore-and-aft of the base, a power shaft toward the rear of the frames supported in part by'at least one of the frames, a. rear drum shaft ahead of the. power shaft. and driven therefrom,

a front drum shaft. ahead of the rear drum shaft and driven therefrom and a transverse brace interconnecting the upper portions of the machinery frames in the region between said two drum shafts.

3. In a crawler type load handling machine having a rotating base mounted for swine mo.- tion and a boom carried by the base in front of the axis of swing motion, machinery frames extended fore-and-aft of the base, a power shaft toward the rear of the frames supported inpart by at least one of the frames, a rear drum shaft ahead. of the power shaft and driven therefrom, a front drum shaft. ahead of the rear drum shaft and. driven therefrom, a. reverse shaft for swing and propel mounted in lower portions of the machinery frames intermediate. the two drum shafts, and a transverse brace interconnecting the upperportions of the machinery frames in the region above said reverse shaft and intermediate said two drum shafts.

4-. In a crawler type load handling machine having a rotating base mounted for swing mo.- tionon a crawler truck and a boom carried by the base. in' front of the axis. of swing motion. a. pair of generally upright. machinery frames extending fore-amiaft of the base in spaced parallel relation, a pair of drum shafts mounted one in front of the other adjacent. thev upper edges of the machinery frames, said drum shafts being adapted to perform working functions; in association with the boom, a transversely extend:- ing. shaft. mounted in the machinery frames in lower portions. thereof intermediate the drum shafts and being adapted to perform a, workin function. in association with the crawler truck, and a transverse brace mterconnecting the upper portions. of. the machinery frames in the region above; said transversely extending. shaft intermediate the drum shafts of said. pair.

WILLIAM M.. HUSTON.

7 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent? UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 628,815 Kearns July: 11, 1899 723,731 Reise- Mar; 24, 1903 888,690 Browning May 26, 1908 1,770,175 Lichtenberg July 8, 1930 2,049,653 Ljungkull Aug. 4, i936 

